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Wednesday, February 20, 2013

Thoughts from Bishop Jake

Yesterday our priests and
deacons gathered with me for one of our regular Clergy Days. Among the things on
our hearts and minds was the challenge of being the Church in 2013 and
beyond.

Our place in history
presents us with a radical challenge. We inhabit a transitional historical
period, and the demands of our times are different from those faced by the
inhabitants of a stable historical period. Let me explain this contrast between
transitional and stable historical periods by way of analogy with the board game
Monopoly.

As you may have heard,
the makers of Monopoly have discarded one of the game's classic pieces. The iron
is now in the historical ash bin and in its place we find a cat. For all the
fuss, Monopoly remains Monopoly. The rules for moving around the board,
purchasing property, and paying rent remain unchanged. The board, with minor
artistic revision, looks the same.

Even some of the
outlandish special edition Monopoly sets do nothing to change the real essence
of the game. There is a Star Wars edition, a Scooby Doo edition, and even a
Wizard of Oz edition. Players still move by rolling the dice, each space on the
board is a property by another name but with the same relative value, and the
rules governing play are the same. All the changes are window dressing on the
same logic.

This is how a stable
historical period looks. Particular people, arguments, events, and crises arise,
but the available moves and the rules governing the movements are essentially
set. We all know how to play the game, and any departure from the agreed upon
way to play is cheating.

We all know that
historical periods give way to succeeding historical periods: periods that have
their own board and rules and pieces. Painting now with a very broad brush,
think of the very different world people inhabited in the Middle Ages and in the
Renaissance. Assumptions about God, human destiny, and political legitimacy
underwent significant shifts. (Okay, my apologies to every historian reading
this.)

But what about the
space in between? Let's return to the board game illustration. It's not as if
someone simply swept away Monopoly and put in its place the game of Clue. We
might gripe about this sudden shift and even demand a return to Monopoly, but at
least we would be clear about a whole new set of rules, purpose of the game, and
design of the board.

Transitional historical
periods are more like playing Monopoly even while Hasbro is changing the rules
and remaking the board without telling us. The rules are under revision and the
board keeps shifting to some final version we cannot see yet. And the kicker is
this. We don't get to stop playing. We have to figure it out as we go. One thing
is for sure, if we keep playing the game the way we always have we will
eventually lose touch with the game completely.

We live in a
transitional historical period. Our society and our culture are changing in ways
that are reshaping how we understand the meaning, value, and purpose of life.
How to be Church is changing as a result. We don't get to go back to older ways
to proclaim the Gospel, but quitting until thing settle down is not a viable
option. The changes surrounding us call us into being Church in some new and
exciting ways.

* In the weeks and
months ahead the clergy and I will be sharing
some innovative ideas with
you. Here is a a brief sketch:
* Instead of trying to get people
to church, start bringing church to
the people.
* The
Gospel is something we do.
* We need deacons as leaders for
doing the Gospel in the world.
* It's time to start mission
stations.
* We need a new model of cooperation between
small
congregations.
This list is meant to give
you teasers for further thought. We will be talking much more about these and
other ideas for the vitality of the our diocese.

We are in a time that
calls for boldness and courage. We will try many things. Some will work right
away, and many will prove to be shaky first drafts in shaping a final approach
that goes like gangbusters. Don't be afraid! There is no failure in Christ, and
we are doing all that we do in his name.

Blessings for a renewed
relationship with our Lord and a greater love for your neighbor in this Lenten
season.